Ben Kingsley has shut down rumors claiming that he auditioned for "Star Wars: Episode VII."
During an interview with Total Film the actor said he was never called in to audition. "Oh, what a shame that I wasn't awake during the audition. It's passed me by entirely...I have no recollection of it whatsoever! I do apologize to the producers and director, but I'm afraid that I have no recall of this," Kingsley told Total Film.
Kingsley is currently promoting his upcoming film "Ender's Game." The actor is known for his work on "Gandhi," "Hugo," "Schindler's List," "Shutter Island" and "Bugsy." He will next be seen in "A Birder's Guide to Everything," "The Physician" and "Walking with the Enemy."
Kingsley is the second actor to deny rumors about the upcoming film. Previously, Benedict Cumberbatch, who was rumored to have been cast, revealed that he had never auditioned.
However, several Hollywood A-List actors have auditioned including Saoirse Ronan, Ryan Gosling, Zac Efron and Stuart Stapleton.
Nothing has been revealed about the plot for the film, but rumors hint that the story will follow up years after "Episode VI: Return of the Jedi" and will showcase older versions of the original trilogy characters Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa and Han Solo. There is no mention of how big their roles would be in the film, but it seems that younger actors will take more prominent roles in the new trilogy.
"Star Wars: Episode VII" is in pre-production and is rumored to star Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill. Production will begin in 2014 with J.J Abrams directing the film from a script by Michael Arndt. The film is slated for a release in 2015.